Meet at the Foundry this Friday after work to mark the tragic death of veteran London bike courier Henry Warwick,killed in a collision with a coach on Bishopsgate last Friday 3rd Feb.We'll take a go-slow to the spot where he lost his life.
RIP Henry

Well it's up to the family to decide really.Chris from Citysprint has offered to get flowers from New Covent Garden market on Friday morning/Thursday night so we can bring them to the ride so if you all wanna chip in, would be great...

Everyone is welcome, but don't expect a punctual start. The timing is dependent on what work people end up with & at what time. If half London's couriers end up in Chelsea at 7pm (which entirely plausible), then the start may be delayed. It won't be before 6pm, and won't be after 8, but I wouldn't like to be more specific than that.

Personally, I won't finish my desk-bound job until gone 7, so I hope it doesn't start without me...

Olaf, I think it's important to bear in mind that this is something being done by the courier community for the courier community to recognise and remember one of our own. I've been off the circuit for four years after being on for 6 1/2, even I feel a bit of a fraud turning up. By all means have a generic ride for all cyclists as well, but this is something a little personal (even if it is conducted in public) for us. Sure, it's an insular and stand-offish community a lot of the time, but it really is a worldwide brother(and sister)hood.

Personally I think everyone who wants to show their respects should be made entirely welcome.
I'm currently a courier but when I have simply been a commuter I'm still saddened by any cyclist accidents.
There but for the grace of God go I..... thats the point, riding in London shouldn't be so dangerous, it should be for everyone. It should be for all ages. People shouldn't die riding a bike.
Even though I only spoke to Henry once and only knew his face from the road, I would like to show some respect and mark a very sad event. I would like to share this with the courier community and the wider cycling community.

This should not be made exclusive in any way. Regardless of what you do for a living we got one thing in common. We ride bikes. In that sense we are no different from that bloke on a brompton with trouser clips. What if a member of his family turned up. Would you turn him/her away? Thought not. The reason this happens when a messenger dies is simple maths. The average person on a bike is unlikely to have 150+ mates on bikes. So Olaf, just turn up and look for the other viking in the crowd. I'll get you a beer.

Contrary to what has been suggested in the thisislondon article the ride for Henry Warwick is a memorial ride not a protesthttp://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24033836-tributes-paid-after-brilliant-cycle-courier-dies-in-crash-with-coach.do

I'm happy to bring a camera and take as many pictures as possible, I'm just a commuter but would really like to show my respects and happy to send out the picture to whom ever would like them. I will be on the yellow Airnimal.

Of the messengers whom I see on a near-daily basis but don't really talk to, I'd split them into two rough categories - the ones I'm happy not to because they look miserable as hell, and the ones who I could well see myself having a laugh and a pint with one day, given the opportunity. Henry fell firmly into the latter camp, just based on how he looked and what brief things I've heard about the guy. That's really all I can say about a guy who's hand I never shook, apart from my sadness at the death of a fellow human, a fellow cyclist and a fellow London cycle courier.

Makes me think, though. It's sort of amazing how much of an affinity we can craft just through our shared experiences and I think this is the bond that holds this whole community together, that we've all been there - those rainy EC4 afternoons, the dudes slowly loading the goods lift on the 8th floor when you've got a screaming urgent, the dash past the Duke, all long shadows and Friday sun, the obnoxious Addy Lee cabbie wanker whom risks your existence with short regard.

ITV London are going to do a news item about the ride (I didn't contact them, they contacted me, in case anyone is wondering). They would like to speak to a courier that knew Henry. I would also suggest that someone from LCEF should talk to them also.

Nobody has to talk to anyone from the media.They only pop up when it suits them,and they wont be on bikes either.I, personally, do not want a camera in my face when I'm paying my respects to a fallen courier.You should've told them they were not welcome.

FWIW, I would expect the Standard & the Times to be there, as well as a 100 or so cycle-bloggers, as I notice from MT inbound links & looking round the internet that this ride has turned into a big event in bike-blogger-land.

Ironic that in 1992 when we did the ride for Edward Newstead, the event got NO media coverage (unless you count Moving Target!), despite the LCC sending out press releases to all & sundry.

My brother was a very professional cyclist and courier. He was very much into cycling since being a teenager and considered the sport to be his lifelong hobby. He was also a lifelong music fan and the Rolling Stones were his particular favourite, he was also into Blues and Southern Rock, the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Winter etc... As a direct result of what happened here a week ago today my only hope is that Henry's death was not in vain and that the campaign to make the streets of London safer for all cyclists and other road users will be ongoing and will intensify as a result of last Friday's tragedy.